Chicken, corn and ginger soup

After the more filling, scrummy soups of dead winter I am pleased to find something slightly more refreshing and delicious as we approach the Sydney Spring. I have added shredded chicken for protein, this really is a cheap and easy dish to create!

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup shallots (finely sliced)
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 cups of frozen corn kernels
4 cups chicken stock (you can use more, I think up to 2 cups)
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cooked and shredded chicken breast

to serve
sliced spring onions
coriander
1 tsp sesame oil

METHOD
- Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat
- Add spring onions and ginger, stir for 1 minute
- Add corn, stir for another minute (or longer if corn is still frozen)
- Pour in stock, bring to boil
- Season with rice wine, salt, pepper, sugar, soy sauce
- Simmer for 5 minutes
- Stir in shredded chicken breast

- Ladle into bowls
- Top with coriander, shallots and coriander
- Drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil

From: Bill Granger: bills SYDNEY FOOD, Murdoch Books 2004.

Chickpea and Leek Soup

Here we are at the end of the Australian Winter, and I readily admit that it is soup that has helped me stick to my eating plan in the colder weather! Sure, cravings come and go but it is soup that sustains me and gives me the energy I need to get through the day... this one is a keeper, it is silky and satisfying with lots of leek and garlic flavour...

INGREDIENTS
1 x can of chickpeas, drained
1/2 a large sweet potato, peeled and diced
4 leeks (white bit only, finely sliced)
1 tablespoon olive oil
small knob of butter (less than 20g)
2 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper
4 cups of chicken stock
handful of parmesan (I use grana padano)
1 x cooked chicken breast, shredded
Serves 6

METHOD
- Place chickpeas and sweet potato in a medium saucepan, cover with water, cook for 20min
- Heat a large saucepan, add oil and butter over medium heat
- Add leeks, garlic and a pinch of salt to the saucepan, cook 5-6 minutes until tender
- Add drained chickpeas and sweetpotato, cook for 1 minute
- Add 3 cups of stock and simmer for 15 minutes

- Using a handheld stick blender puree some of the mixture so it is smooth, but be sure to leave some chucks and whole chickpeas for texture
- Add remaining stock, throw in the shredded chicken and heat
- Stir through parmesan and serve

Adapted from: Jamie Oliver, 'The Naked Chef' Penguin Group, 1999

Bean and Pumpkin Stew

Here we are in the dead of Winter and my food diary has fallen by the wayside. I've been eating relatively well lately but it would be good to keep my eyes 'on the numbers' more closely. I found this recipe on taste.com.au today and will be serving it up after training and yoga tonight, I'm sure Joe will be pleased I'll be filling out my diary more regularly, starting with this recipe! I will be adding some poached chicken for extra protein...

INGREDIENTS
250g butternut pumpkin, deseeded, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces
olive oil cooking spray
1 red onion, halved, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teaspoons moroccan spice blend
2 tablespoons tomato paste
400g can diced tomatoes
1 zucchini, diced
1 red capsicum, cut into 2cm pieces
150g button mushrooms, thickly sliced
400g can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup basil leaves, shredded
1/2 cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese / sprinkling of Grano Padano cheese (I prefer as it has more flavour and you need less of it)
Serves 4

METHOD
1. Cover pumpkin, add a little water and microwave for 3 minutes or until almost tender. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, spray a saucepan with oil. Heat over medium heat until hot. Add onion. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and spice blend. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until aromatic.

3. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, zucchini, capsicum and mushrooms. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until thickened.

4. Add beans and pumpkin. Cook for a further 10 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper.

5. Serve with poached chicken (I slice it up and mix it into the saucepan) / steamed greens of your choice.

NUMBERS (per serve, without chicken)
Protein: 16.5g
Fat: 3.6g
Carbohydrate: 29.3g
Fibre: 9.7g

Adapted from: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/603/bean+and+pumpkin+stew

'The Master' Beef Casserole

This recipe really is the master of all casseroles, I knew I had to shut up about it last night when somebody told me 'This is the third time you've told me...'

It's so easy! Give it a go while the days are cold...

INGREDIENTS
1kg beef, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 tbsp coconut flour
3 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves

METHOD
- Preheat oven to 180 celsius
- Place beef in a ziploc bag with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and pepper, mix well
- Heat a frypan over high heat, brown beef in 3 batches, place in casserole dish

- Reduce pan heat to medium, add a little oil
- Add vegetables and cook for 2 minutes, stirring
- Stir in flour and mix until vegetables are coated
- Gradually add stock, stirring well
- Add remaining ingredients, stir until mixture boils

- Pour mixture over beef into casserole dish
- Cover, place in oven
- Stir every 40 minutes, bake for 120 minutes

Recipe adapted from:
http://www.themainmeal.com.au/RecipesInspiration/Entice-magazine/Entice-magazine.htm

Kapai Puku - The Seed of Life

I was in Harris Farm the other week and as usual there were loads of food samples to try (this is certainly what gets Mark through the door!) I normally avoid all of the free cheeses and breads, but I enjoyed tasting a yoghurt sample with these 'Kapai Puku' seeds mixed in.

Well I enjoyed it so much I bought a pack of these seeds - and they were 15 bucks, for a while I was worried I had been ripped off! But they have proven to be so versatile, and I've really enjoyed mixing them in yoghurt, adding to cereal, even omelettes or stewed fruit.

Then I double checked the numbers and I realised just how great these seeds are!

Some of the benefits of this product include:
* Rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid.
* Rich in fibre
* Contains silica – that is essential for healthy smooth supple skin, healthy hair and strong nails. Silica is present in almost every tissue of the body and is essential for cell growth.
* Contains B Complex vitamins (B1 – Thiamine, B2 – Riboflavin, B3 – Niacin, B6 – Pyridoxine) are extremely important for the health of the nervous system. They are not stored in the body in any great quantity and need to be supplied daily by the diet.
* An excellent source of vitamin E, the body’s primary fat-soluble antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals that would otherwise damage fat-containing structures and molecules, (eg. cell membranes, brain cells, and cholesterol).
* High in Zinc, Calcium, and Phosphorus.

NUMBERS (per 50g serve)
Protein 8.2g
Fat 13.3g (saturated 1.7g)
Carbs 18.9g
Fibre 8.4g

You can also order the product online.

A More Healthful Cookie Experiment

The last few months have been a whole reducation process for me as far as nutrition is concerned. But sometimes, it's just so easy to fall off the wagon!

My problem food right now? I say right now because I haven't eaten these for years. Cookies, straight from the oven. I'm lucky I haven't gone overboard with them, but I admit I have been eating small amounts pretty regularly.

A lovely workmate Kath had a pre-school fundraiser for her son, and this time it was Billy G's Gourmet Cookie Dough. I was happy to oblige and buy a tub of dough because Mark often eats cookies late at night before bed (because he is super-skinny and he can!) and this cookie dough is absolutely delicious raw or cooked, it is such a treat to eat!

Now I am tiring of it all and am beginning to get cranky with myself - so I'm seeing this in terms of a challenge. Will I be able to create a more healthful version of cookie dough that I can freeze and enjoy alongside Mark when he gets the munchies?

I'm thinking of wholemeal and coconut flour, a mix of brown sugar, perhaps honey, and splenda. Dark chocolate, and maybe some nuts? I'll also try and use a reduced fat butter blend, and organic eggs of course. I know I'd much prefer to stick to whole food organic type products, but I also want to keep the numbers down, so a bit of compromise is required.

So fingers crossed, the experiment starts here!
I found this excellent website with general cookie baking tips:
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_cookie_recipes

I also found this website with some healthy cookie recipes so I'm going to give one a try, after adapting it to meet my needs:
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_cookie_recipes

The recipe I have adapted follows:

INGREDIENTS
* 3/4 cup weight watchers rolled oats
* 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
* 1/2 cup coconut flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup reduced fat spread, softened (I use Devondale light 50% less fat)
* 1/4 cup lite olive oil
* 1/3 cup splenda
* 1/3 cup brown sugar
* 1 large egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 40g dark chocolate, chopped (I use Lindt excellence, 70% cocoa)

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cover a tray with glad bake.

2. Grind oats in a blender or food processor. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Melt butter gently in the microwave. Add oil, splenda, brown sugar, egg and vanilla; stir until smooth and creamy. Stirring, add the dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in chocolate.

3. Drop the dough by heaping teaspoonfuls, at least 1 inch apart, onto the prepared tray, press down. Bake cookies for about 10-15 minutes. Cool the cookies for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

NUMBERS Per cookie (approx):
3 g fat
8 g carbohydrates
1 g protein

So how did it go? Well! I could go on and on, but I'm really pleased with my adapted recipe. The wholemeal flour fills me up much faster and I don't seem to keep craving and craving cookies! They don't spread much, so I'll be playing around a little with the recipe, but it's good to know what I'm eating, and they are at least 30% better for me all-round nutrition wise compared to the lovely Billy Gs Cookies.

Overall, if you are watching what you eat and you are craving something, I say go ahead and cook it - then try to make it better! Once you put the effort in, work out the numbers and enjoy your snack, you will probably lose your craving and find respect for more healthful food options (after just a few more cookies!)

Yummy Organic Popcorn

This morning I stopped by the nasty Woolworths Petrol to buy my least favourite thing, petrol, when I came across these friendly treats!

Whole Kids Organic Popcorn with sea salt is delicious and yummy. I'm sort of sorry the brand name is 'Whole Kids' as this snack is perfect for everybody! I have already scanned the shelf in my local Woolworths store but no luck as yet, I think I'll be sending them an email to plead they get some stock on the shelf...

The benefits of this product include:
* Certified organic
* Low GI
* No preservatives
* No artificial flavours
* No artificial colours
* rich in dietary fibre
* Low sodium
* Whole kids is australian-owned

Better still, the numbers are fantastic!
NUMBERS (per 12g bag)
Protein: 1.3g
Fat:1.9g
Carbohydrates: 8.3g

You can find more information about stockists and even buy online at:
http://wholekids.com.au/

Stewed Apple and Raspberries

It seems at the moment I am trying out a new 'stewed fruit' every week! It's great to have on hand to add to porridge, yoghurt, or to eat for dessert with a lite custard. I think this is my favourite combination so far, it's just so tempting to keep adding different things to the mix but I believe it's important that the fruit does the work as far as flavour is concerned.

INGREDIENTS
4 large cooking apples (granny smith, fuji) peeled and chopped
1 cup frozen or fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon of honey
squeeze of lemon juice
1 stick of cinnamon

METHOD
1. In a medium saucepan, put the apples with the lemon juice (add perhaps 1 Tbs of water as well), add and cinnamon stick. Cook over medium heat for around 10 min.

2. Add the raspberries and honey and stir, simmer 5-10min.

3. Set aside to cool down.

Adapted from:
http://rhid-baked.blogspot.com/2008/02/apple-and-raspberry-pies.html

Dark chocolate: Kshocolat

I recently visited the much-loved (if not in need a of a fresh coat of paint) Jones the Grocer store in Woollahra to buy some fancy last-minute provisions for our weekend away.

One item I chose was the Kshocolat Dark Chocolate with 72% cocoa solids, I think it was around $12 a bar for 80g which is pretty full on, but hey, we all have to live a little!

I think I'll be doing a little comparing and contrasting of different dark chocolates in the near future, there is a wide range available to try and there are apparently many health benefits! ;)

NUMBERS (per serving, 40g)
Protein: 3.4g
Fat: 15.5g
Carbohydrate: 12.6g

Upon doing some research, it seems this Scottish chocolate company has recently gone into administration (Feb 2010) and is looking for a buyer, so if you're keen...

I for one really enjoy the taste of this product so hope this is by no means the end for Kshocolat.

Roasted Vegetable & Bacon Soup

I think one thing I have learned recently is not to be scared of bacon if you are watching your eating! You can still eat it if you trim off most of the fat and watch your portions - and in recipes such as this, you are adding it for flavour; not in vast quantities to 'fill up on it'.

I use the beautiful shulz bacon from South Australia - twice the price as supermarket bacon, but the flavour and quality is just second to none. On other blogs this bacon is hailed as a 'secret hangover cure!' You can find it at Harris Farm and small delis around the place.

This weekend Mark and I went to Kangaroo Valley and I admit I splurged on some lovely food. So, I'm bringing home the leftover bacon to create something yummy to get back on the right eating track.

If you like the taste of Pea & Ham soup, you will love this recipe!

INGREDIENTS
* 4 bacon rashers, rind and excess fat trimmed, coarsely chopped
* 2 red capsicums, halved, deseeded
* 2 leeks, pale section only, halved lengthways, sliced
* 700g sweet potato, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces
* 3 tsp minced garlic
* Olive oil spray
* 4 cups chicken stock
* 1 tablespoon of milled flaxseed
* Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Place sweet potato on baking paper in a large roasting pan, spray with oil. Bake for 30min.
2. Add the capsicums, leeks, garlic. Bake for another 30min.
3. Add bacon, bake for a final 30min.
4. Place the capsicums, the flaxseed, a quarter of the vegetable mixture and 1 cup of stock in a large saucepan, process with a blending stick until smooth.
5. Stir in the remaining vegetable mixture and stock.
5. Bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Taste and add pepper.

If you happen to find this recipe too salty, consider adding a tablespoon of honey.

Adapted from: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/12104/roasted+vegetable+bacon+soup